All Taglit-Birthright Israel participants leaving on Canadian departures have the option of extending their ticket to remain in Israel beyond the program for a fee. Only those who have been assigned to a trip will be able to make a request for a flight extension. Please realize that extensions are not guaranteed and every airline has their own restrictions. You may have to be flexible with your dates as the airlines are very busy; this is why we urge participants to make the extension in advance of their trip departure.
We encourage you to take advantage of being in Israel and to extend your stay after the program. Please note that once the Taglit-Birthright Israel program has concluded you will no longer be under our supervision or the responsibility of Taglit-Birthright Israel. All returned flights must be direct from Tel Aviv; stopovers and connecting flights are not permitted on your Taglit-Birthright Israel ticket. Ticket agents will not be able to assist you in obtaining flight insurance.
Please make note of which airline your trip will travel with; this information can be found at
www.cieregistration.com under "Bus Info".
Follow the instructions below for the specific airline.
AIR CANADA:
Please complete the
Request for Extension Form and e-mail it directly to Air Canada (
edesk@aircanada.ca). To extend your stay prior to departure, the fee set by the airline will be charged and the airline will require credit card information to confirm via e-mail.
Please remember that our agents at Air Canada are stationed in Tel Aviv, Israel and are 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Their general hours of operation are Sunday to Thursday 9:00 am – 5 pm (Israel time).
Please allow for a minimum of 2-3 business days for a response to your email. Sending additional e-mails only delays the agents further.
Air Canada tickets permit Taglit-Birthright Israel participants to stay in Israel for a maximum of 90 days beyond your departure date from Toronto. Please note that every effort will be made to confirm one of your requested dates or the date nearest to it. If none of your requested dates are available, you will be informed by the Air Canada agent about your further options.
Taglit-Birthright Israel airline tickets are a certain class of seating. Air Canada may not have available seating on the date you wish to return. In this case you will either have to settle for a different date and flight or, if offered by AIr Canada, choose to pay a higher fee for a different class of service.
Please note that Class of Service refers to fare and not seat availability.
To extend your stay prior to departure, the fee is $150US only if the Class Code/Fare (not the seat availability) of your ticket is available on the date Air Canada can confirm you on. If the Class Code/Fare (not the seat availability) is not available you will be given the option to pay a difference in Class Fare to the next available fare on the date which is available.
Once your extension has been confirmed you will be asked for a credit card number/expiry date.
Your credit card will be debited once the actual flight tickets are being issued (and not upon confirming the date). Flight tickets are typically issued 7-10 days prior to departure. Should you need to change your date, once it has been confirmed by the airline (even prior to debiting your credit card) you will be subject to the additional change of date fee ($150US) for each requested change.
You also have the option of waiting to extend your ticket once you are in Israel. It also costs $150US to do it directly through Air Canada once in Israel, however, should you need to be home on a certain date the availability may not be there. IF you know you have to be back on a certain date, it is
highly recommended that you make the extension prior to departure of the trip from Canada.
Once you arrive in Israel you may call the Air Canada office in Tel Aviv at 03-607-2123 for an additional date change. This will be subject to availability and change of date fee of $150US.
Should you change your mind and decide not to extend your stay once in Israel and want to return to Toronto with your group, your new booking will be subject to seat availability and may not be confirmed automatically. This will also be subject to a change of date fee of $150US.
Please note that Canada Israel Experience is not responsible for fees forfeitted if you need to change or cancel your extension request with Air Canada.
Extending your ticket will only be possible once you have been assigned on a specific flight.
EL AL:
Extensions for El Al Israel Airlines are handled through Gil Travel. You can request an extension prior to departure by going to:
http://www.giltravel.com/taglit-birthright-welcome.htm. Please read the Gil Travel FAQ section as well as their policies on providing extensions to Taglit-Birthright Israel participants.
Extension requests prior to departure are made through their website
ONLY and
NOT by telephone.
El Al Israel Airline's ticket is good for a maximum stay of 90 days. All tickets become null and void after that time.
To extend your stay prior to departure, the fee varies according to availability of seats for the particular day you select. The fee can range from $140US, $165US, $265US or $365US, subject to availability.
You can extend your ticket when you are in Israel directly through El Al. The fee can range from $50US, $75US, $175US or $275US; all seats are subject to availability. Should you need to be home on a certain date the seat availability may not be there. If you know you have to be back on a certain date, it is
highly recommended that you make the extension prior to departure from Canada.
The local telephone number in Israel for El Al airlines is 03-977-1111, 24 hours a day.
Please note that Canada Israel Experience is not responsible for fees forfeited if you need to change or cancel your extension request with El Al.
Extending your ticket will only be possible once you have been assigned on a specific flight.